Nde Ndifonka (born 9 May 1985), popularly known by his stage name Wax Dey, is a Cameroonian singer, songwriter, entrepreneur and

social activist Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...

. He won Best Male Artist in Central Africa at the 2016

All Africa Music Awards All Africa Music Awards (also referred to as AFRIMA) is an annual awards event. The awards event was established by the International Committee AFRIMA, in collaboration with the African Union (AU) to reward and celebrate musical works, talents ...

(AFRIMA). He owns a record label called Calabash Music. In December 2015, he released the

Yemi Alade Yemi Eberechi Alade (born 13 March 1989), is a Nigerian Afropop singer, songwriter, actress and activist. She won the ''Peak Talent Show'' in 2009 after which she signed to Effyzzie Music Group, and had a hit with her single "Johnny" in 2014. S ...

assisted "Saka Makossa" (''Dance Makossa'') which pays tribute to the

Makossa Makossa is a Cameroonian style of urban music. Like much other late 20th century music of Sub-Saharan Africa, it uses strong electric bass rhythms and prominent brass. In the 1980s makossa had a wave of mainstream success across Africa and to a ...

music genre. Wax Dey is also the Producer and main actor of the Cameroonian reality TV contest, Number One Girl, which airs on Equinox TV. In December 2020, Wax Dey was knighted with a presidential medal as Chevalier of the Order of Valour of Cameroon.

Early life

Ndifonka was born in

Bamenda Bamenda, also known as Abakwa and Mankon Town, is a city in northwestern Cameroon and capital of the Northwest Region, Cameroon, Northwest Region. The city has a population of about 2 million people and is located north-west of the Cameroonian ca ...

and is from the Northwest Region of Cameroon. He was inspired to get into music when his father brought home a VHS cassette. He started listening to

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

and others. He studied at Sacred Heart College in Bamenda where he was singing with the school choir and took part in songs competitions, all this helped him find a place in music. He later graduated from the

University of Buea University of Buea (UB) is found in Molyko, Buea, in the southwest region of Cameroon. It was founded as a university centre in 1985 and became a full-fledged university in 1992, following a government decree that re-organized state universities ...

after studying law.

Career

He began his professional career in 2008 with the release of African Soul with records such as "Butterfly". In 2006. Richard Nwamba described him as a newfound young talent to walk in the shoes of Richard Buna He released his debut solo album in 2016 ''360 Degrees'' featuring artists such as

Banky W Olubankole Wellington (born 27 March 1981), popularly known by his stage name Banky W and credited in film as Banky Wellington, is a Nigerian singer, rapper, actor, entrepreneur and politician. Early life Olubankole Wellington was born in the ...

and

. In 2012, he earned 3 nominations for the Cameroon Entertainment Award as best artist, and when speaking with Sheer Publishing he said He became a, LuquLuqu Ambassador to the UN in Africa 2017. In June 2020, Nde Ndifonka released the ''EP, Rise Again: The Lockdown EP'', inspired by the

COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of non-pharmaceutical interventions colloquially known as lockdowns (encompassing stay-at-home orders, curfews, quarantines, and similar societal restrictions) have been implemented in numerous countrie ...

. In December 2020, he ran for the position of board chair of Cameroon Music Corporation (SONACAM) and lost the

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operate ...

Selected discography

*Rise Again: The Lockdown EP (June 2020) *Final Light (Album) - 2019 *360 Degrees (album) - 2016 *African Dream - 2010 *African soul - 2008

Singles

* Mr Arrogant - 2019 * My Heart ft

Master KG Kgaogelo Moagi (born 31 January 1996), known professionally as Master KG, is a South African musician and record producer. Born and raised in Tzaneen, his debut studio album ''Skeleton Move'' achieved acclaim including an AFRIMA Award for Best A ...

- 2019 * "I Don See My Wife" (2013) (with Dontom) * Saka Makossa ft

- 2016 * "Number One Girl" * "Kiss of the Death" * Will you be my wifey - 2013 * I don see my wife ft Dontom - 2012

Awards and recognition

References